Caffé Veloce: Cheapo-Friendly Caffeine and Sandwiches

While this might surprise you, cheap doesn’t always equal good. Take, for example, coffee. If it’s dirt cheap, it’s probably going to taste like, well, dirt. Tea, too. While there’s a ton of the stuff being punted at low prices in Tokyo, not all of it is drinkable. So step away from that suspicious vending machine, and into Caffé Veloce.

Image by mingphoto36, used under a Creative Commons Licence. | Photo by mingphoto36 used under CC

The cheapo sister of the somewhat classier (and less wallet-friendly) Chat Noir brand, Caffé Veloce is a chain of lower-mid-range coffee shops with branches all over the place. Falling somewhere between a Denny’s drink bar and Tully’s on the quality scale, and cheaper than Doutor, Caffé Veloce offers a decent range of teas and coffees, with surprisingly sizeable sandwiches, a few pasta dishes (only at certain branches) and some cakes on the side. If a budget light meal and a cuppa is what you’re after, this is the place to go.

Ninja Wifi is the biggest provider of rental pocket wifi devices to international visitors coming to Japan. They also have the most pick-up points. You–click here for details

Suggested Activity

An espresso will set you back 180 yen, a large-size Blend Coffee, 220 yen, and a Café Latte, 230 yen. Being more of a tea fiend, I can’t verify the quality of the coffee, but I haven’t heard horrendous things about it. I can say that the Cocoa Latte (at 280 yen, the most expensive drink on the menu) is one of the best ones I’ve had in Tokyo (much creamier than the cardboard-like stuff I’ve sometimes had to shell out 400 yen for) – and it comes with a cute foam heart – earning it bonus “aw” points.

Mattcha Latte Float shot byArkanGL, used under a Creative Commons Licence. | Photo by ArkanGL used under CC

A mug of Ceylon tea costs between 200-240 yen, and isn’t bad at all. Neither is the Matcha Latte, which is priced at 260 yen. They also have Hoji Tea (roasted green tea), as well as some juices and floats.

Sadly there is no soy milk option for anything – cancelling out the previously mentioned “aw” points. There is free water though, unlike at certain other coffee shops … and a (properly) separate smoking section.

The sandwiches are thick and tasty (a lot tastier than a convenience store sandwich, anyway), and are reasonable at 200 – 260 yen. You can choose from egg, ham, tuna, potato and salad, bacon omelette and a hot dog type thing for the filling. There’s also a jam sandwich option, which is only 140 yen.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of These: A Guide to Hong Kong’s Street Food–read more

Hong Kong Cheapo

If you roll into one of the branches that serve up pasta, you’ll have a choice of seafood, tomato-meat sauce or a Japanese-style sauce (also meaty), for 480 yen. If it’s authentic Italian food you’re after though, you’re probably better off eating somewhere else.

On the sweet side of things, you can grab a piece of baked cheesecake for 280 yen, a serving of coffee jelly for 290 yen, or a seasonal cake for however much they decide to sell it at. There is also a small range of muffins and sweet bean paste rolls.

I’m currently in Tokyo for vacation. On my second night, I ordered a cafe latte from their branch near Ibis Hotel Shinjuku. Correct me if I’m wrong, it tasted like they used a creamer instead of milk. Went to the nearby Excelsior Caffee yesterday & their cafe latte was just right, even if more expensive.

On the morning of April 28 2015, we had coffee and cake at Veloche near the Kayabacho subway station. The blend coffee excellent for a 190 y coffee. We had 3 different kind of cakes … outstanding… pastries ok,

To find why we started this site, check out the Tokyo Cheapo Manifesto. For more about the people behind this site, check out the profiles of the cheapos here. If you want to contribute to or sponsor Tokyo Cheapo, get in touch

Affiliate Links
Some of the articles on this site contain affiliate links. If you purchase from or sign up with some companies we link to, we will be compensated. We don't endorse any of the companies we link to but we are selective in terms of the companies that we choose. You should exercise careful judgement with any online purchase.

Sponsored Content
Sponsored posts are clearly labeled with a "Sponsored" tag. Additionally, content such as tours and tickets, hotels and apartments are commercial content.